Sincerely, Your Photographer
There's more to capturing the magic of your wedding day than just pointing a camera and clicking a button. Discover the insider secrets and essential truths your photographer wants you to know when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer, creating your timeline, and having a picture-perfect day.
Choosing Your Photographer
Choosing the right photographer for your big day can be a daunting task. You want to hire someone whose composition and editing style is appealing to you, whose personality vibes with yours, and ultimately, you want to hire someone you can afford.
The first thing your photographer wants you to understand is that wedding photography is an investment. You’re spending a lot of time, money, and energy planning and coordinating this wonderful event. In ten years though, the food will be eaten, the dress will be packed away, the guests might have moved to another city, so what’s left to remember the best day of your lives? That’s right; your wedding photos.
As you’re comparing price sheets for different photographers, you’re going to see that they offer various packages. Some might list a number of photos you receive. Some may offer physical prints. Some might cost an arm and a leg. Some might cost less because they’re “building their portfolio”. While you shouldn’t start your marriage in debt due to your wedding photos, you should also be cautious when selecting your photographer based on their affordability alone. Remember that in some cases, you get what you paid for.
How Many Photographers?
Some photographers shoot alone, while others shoot with a team. While this could be their personal preference, or a budgeting decision on their part, it’s important to recognize that photographers build and price their packages appropriately. While it’s entirely possible for a photographer to work alone, having a second person helps ensure that moments are captured from more than one angle. For example, during the ceremony, one photographer would focus on the bride, while the other focuses on the groom. When working alone, the photographer would either have to stay in the middle of the ceremony, or go back and forth from one side to the other. With two photographers, one could be taking detail photos while the other is working with the wedding party, ensuring that all the photography bases get covered in the most effective and efficient manner.
Companies v Individual
Writing as someone who’s privy to the behind-the-scenes of the wedding industry, your photographer definitely wants you to understand the difference between hiring a big “corporate” company and hiring a small business. Without naming names, it’s worth pointing out that a lot of vendors listed on the popular wedding websites are located all over the country, and while their packages and prices may be intriguing, they typically don’t openly advertise that their photographers are often freelance individuals that they found in a Facebook group.
When you hire a small business, these are some of the benefits you can expect:
Your point of contact stays the same
The photographer and couple get the opportunity to build trust and communication prior to the wedding day
You’ll receive the same quality photos that you saw in their portfolio because you’ll know who your photographer is
I’m Having a Micro-Wedding
The size of your wedding does not matter to your photographer. Whether you have 50 guests or 500 guests, you will receive the same quality photos. Aside from an elopement, the size of your wedding does not impact the price of your photography package. However, if you plan to have 15 bridesmaids and groomsmen though, let your photographer know so they can bring a lens that’s capable of capturing large groups.
Trusting Your Photographer
You hired a professional to provide a service. They have been to countless weddings, and have experience working with couples and families of various dynamics. Trust their knowledge, and let them guide you through their creative process. Whether this is following prompts or redoing a movement several times, your photographer will know when they got the perfect shot.
Crafting Your Timeline
The itinerary of events is crucial when planning your big day. Some venues provide their own coordinator to help your day run smoothly. Some couples choose to hire a professional wedding coordinator. Depending on your familiarity with weddings and event planning, some couples are able to select a family member or friend who they trust to be the point-of-contact during the day. Whoever it is and however you do it, you should have a timeline of events printed or available digitally for your wedding party, vendors, media team, and coordinator.
First Look
One of the biggest things to consider when building your timeline is when the bride wants to be seen. “Traditionally”, the bride gets ready with her bridesmaids, including hair and makeup, and is tucked away until it’s time to walk down the aisle. Recently, brides are choosing to do a “first look” reveal with their groom before the ceremony. During this typically intimate moment, the groom stands with their back turned, while the bride comes from behind and taps him on the shoulder, signaling for him to turn around. This gives the couple a chance to be alone before the ceremony, allows the photographer to capture some tender and loving moments, and ultimately, gives the wedding party the freedom and ability to get a majority of the group photos completed prior to the ceremony beginning.
The Reception (Ft. the Mock Send Off)
For the sake of your own wallet, you do not need to have your photographer stay for your entire wedding reception. After all, there are only so many photos they can take of your guests dancing. When building your timeline, consider putting all of the “big” events of your reception towards the beginning, including the wedding party entrance, first dances, and speeches. Then after you, your guests, and photographer have had a chance to eat, you can cut the cake, step outside for some sunset shots, and get the dance floor going. Before guests begin leaving, coordinate a “mock” send off. Regardless of what this looks like for you (whether it’s sparklers, bubbles, confetti, or something completely different), get everyone together to ensure you get photos of this epic moment. To help this happen smoothly, pre-select people to pass out materials, light sparklers, and give instructions. Your photographer will assist in staging this for the best angle, so listen to what they say in the moment as well. After this, your guests can either mosey their way back to the dance floor, or begin their journey home. This means that your photographer can wrap up and head out, too.
It’s YOUR Day
Your wedding day should reflect your unique love story, your personalities, and your dreams for the future. So forget about trying to please everyone else- this day is all about what makes you and your partner happy. Don't like a tradition? Skip it! Want to do something wacky you saw on TikTok? Go for it! Your wedding is your chance to throw the party of a lifetime that screams "YOU" in big, bold letters. We understand your families might be involved in the planning, and they might even be involved financially. However, we’d like to kindly ask them to respect your wishes and make space for decisions that feel true to you and your partner. After all, it is YOUR day.
